A look at the summer 2011 movie line-up

Megan Fox decided she had had quite enough explosions for one lifetime and left Transformers 3 mere weeks before shooting was to begin. Luckily director Michael Bay is familiar with lingerie and hired Victoria’s Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley to play the female lead. Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro and Ramón Rodríguez will be back, with Peter Cullen returning as the voice of Optimus Prime and Hugo Weaving returning as the voice of Megatron.

Bay originally wanted to make a small low-budget movie before making his third and final Transformers movie, but Paramount needed a tentpole for 2011 and per$uaded the director to begin pre-production just 4 months after completing Revenge of the Fallen. Not a lot is know about the plot at the moment other than hints of a Transformers link to the USSR vs USA 60’s space race, but Shia LaBeouf, who admitted he wasn’t impressed with the second film, said “there’s going to be a lot of death, human death. This time, they’re targeting humans,” and says “It’s going to be the craziest action movie ever made, or we failed.”

Revenge of the Fallen got caught up in the 2008 writers strike so it lacked in the plot department, which was instead replaced with explosions. In theory, given that there were no obstructions during the scripting process Transformers 3should have a better storyline. It is also being filmed in 3D. Prepare your eyes for a jumbled mess of on-screen metal.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II – July 15th

The end has come. After 10 years and 8 films the Harry Potter franchise will finally draw to a close. The trailers have described it as the ‘motion picture event of a generation’, and it probably will be. Part I will have been released 8 month beforehand so muggles worldwide will be pumped and ready to see the final chapter.

In the film, once again directed by David Yates, Harry, Ron, and Hermione return to Hogwarts after months on the run in the wilderness with the aim of finding, and destroying, Voldemorts final horcruxes. Voldemort finds out about their mission and the biggest battle of their lives begins as the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters descend upon Hogwarts.

Producer David Heyman has said The Battle of Hogwarts will last 30 minutes long and they have beefed up the final Harry vs. Voldemort battle, so we can expect a finale of epic proportions. Who survives? Well…you can check on Wikipedia as the book has been out for 3 years, but for those who just watch the movies prepare for an emotional, action-filled send off for the biggest franchise in movie history.

Captain America: The First Avenger – July 22nd

Following Thor the next step to The Avengers will be Captain America. For this Marvel outing we will be transported to the 1940’s during World War II, where Chris Evans will greet us as Steve Rogers. Director Joe Johnston (The Wolfman, Jurassic Park 3) will be in charge of bringing Captain America to the big screen.

Horrified by the newsreel footage of the Nazis in Europe, Rogers is inspired to enlist in the army. However, because of his frailty and sickness, he is rejected. Overhearing the boy’s earnest plea, General Chester Phillips (Tommy Lee Jones) offers Rogers the opportunity to take part in a special experiment…Operation: Rebirth. After weeks of tests, Rogers is at last administered the Super-Solider Serum and bombarded by ‘vita-rays.’ Steve Rogers emerges from the treatment with a body as perfect as a body can be and still be human. Rogers is then put through an intensive physical and tactical training program and, three months later, is given his first assignment as Captain America.

After completing Iron Man 2 earlier this year director Jon Favreau didn’t want to sit around so he gave James Bond and Indiana Jones a call and asked if they were available for a small sci-fi movie he wanted to make. The movie was Cowboys and Aliens, and yes, it involves Cowboys fighting off an alien invasion in in 1800’s Arizona.

The film follows a stranger named Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) who, with no memory of his past, stumbles into the desert town of Absolution with a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. The people of Absolution don’t welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). It’s a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.

Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he’s been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveller Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse of former opponents — townsfolk, outlaws and Apache warriors—all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.

At least next year will prove to be a better summer. So far Green Lantern and X-Men First Class could be looking good, with Rise of the Apes holding some good potential as well . Everything else is pretty much a wait and see kind of attitude.

Vaughn has added Inception editor, Lee Smith, to his X-Men: First Class crew! Smith edits for Nolan and Peter Weir–he edited The Way Back, The Dark Knight, The Prestige, Batman Begins, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, The Truman Show, and Fearless.

“The trailers have described it as the ‘motion picture event of a generation’, and it probably will be.”

Its not a ‘it probably will be’, it definitely is a motion picture event of a generation. The generation that grew up with Potter from 7-11 years old to 17-21 years old.

Joel

I’ll give you one reason for Cars 2 being green-lit, merchandise BABY!
They made freaking billions of greenbacks with it. (5 billion to be exact)
Plus, Brad Bird has said he won’t make an Incredibles 2 unless he finds the right story.

Asuahfkjh

cowboys vs.s aliens would be kick ass

S_beernutz

Incredibles was wildly successful, so let’s not make another one???? SO… when Disney releases Iron Man 3 and it does REALLY well, are they gonna kill that, too? Let’s give the people what they DON’T want. This is just sad.

spideyfan

Im good with all the movies except cars 2. I mean seriously? They turn down an idea to make incredibles 2 for cars 2? The first cars was boring as hell. All he did through most of the movie was make a road. The only thing i liked about that movie was Larry the Cable Guy. Like i said, it was stupid to make cars 2 instead of incredibles 2. I would have loved to see them fight the underminer or some other villian.

braden

hey thanks for posting this, i know some of the movies that would be released in 2011 but the others i diddnt and thanks to you i am looking forward to 2011 :)

WOOOOOOOOOOO Planet of the Apes!! Why is there no media boom about this flick? what the deuce?! A big name franchise release starring one of the most slick actors in Hollywood and there aren’t even any posters kicking around yet….. not too impressed.

Francisgbaxter

Overall nothing even close to original aside from cowboys vs. Aliens

filmwatcher

The market for movies overseas is exploding. It will soon pass the American market. That’s why cars2 was made. More and more movies will be made intended for the overseas market, with an eye on America as the secondary market. Thor was released in Europe last week, and opened with an 85 million dollar boxoffice.